The end of a dalliance stirs a flurry of emotions. "Kyrr" marks the end of the road between Kontinuum and myself, the point where we wish each other the best with no respect feigned. Though our fling was short, I found myself enjoying "Earth Blood Magic" with its progressive post-black metal structure and daring mix of passion and subtlety. "Kyrr" sheds the black metal elements of "Earth Blood Magic" altogether, giving Kontinuum a rock-styled mode of attack. This transition isn't much of a surprise; its foundation was a pivotal part in the construction of Kontinuum's full-length debut. But the change in direction, while perhaps satisfying to some, limits the band's creativity, whereas the progressive post-black metal direction they once applied had the potential for tremendous depth, now left abandoned. The variance between the albums in terms of quality is palpable."Kyrr" is to "Earth Blood Magic" what a spelling test is to the GRE. While there are shared similarities, the differences between the two can be picked out with little effort. With "Kyrr," the raw, hazy surroundings of "Earth Blood Magic" are traded for a tidy landscape of modern rock; the harsh vocals are absent; the creative bravado of a song like "Red" is gone; and there isn't a single trace of Kontinuum's black metal roots to be found. The variety of "Earth Blood Magic" was open-ended, and gave way to a nicely mottled record. Unfortunately, this is sized down throughout "Kyrr," which takes a rudimentary rock approach retching up the occasional dollop of post-rock and goth stuff. As I said, it's not like this direction is a total shock, but the absence of the progressive post-black metal design is profound.
The record is straightforward and basic. These are rock songs, doing rock song things, with their rock song riffs and their rock song choruses cooked over their rock song drum beats holding up the orderly rock song production. At times the album sheds the light gothic and post-rock hues for stuff made for the radio. "Breathe," "Red Stream," and "Í Huldusal" are driven on poppy choruses glazed in Kontinuum's cold demeanor, and while they are fairly brazen tunes, they are probably the best ones here. The way these tracks are constructed isn't an earthshattering expression of creativity, but the hooks are nice, and I find myself having them stuck in my head after "Kyrr" goes silent.
Little else within "Kyrr" makes much of an impact; its remaining tracks are inoffensive. "In Shallow Seas" brings back a hint of heaviness, the likes of which "Kyrr" mostly eschews. Pinpointing exactly what makes the leftovers is tricky, because, again, Kontinuum is limited to what this form of rock music presents. It's not like I'm writing off Kontinuum because "Kyrr" is a rock album; I'm not a fan with "Kyrr" because it doesn't sit well with me. It sounds like a group that changed too quickly and without much grace, leaving behind a complex, elusive, fresh direction for something basic, clear, microwavable. Kontinuum is a better band than what "Kyrr" represents.